Thursday Thoughts + the REAL Endurance Gain + 21 Miles.

I had some nice little flashbacks to Boston 2015 during my run yesterday.

Okay, it wasn’t nearly as windy or cold as my Boston experience but the rain did sink into my bones and made me frozen until I took the hottest shower of my entire life right when I got home.

A lot of rain and a tiny bit of snow.  I’m pretty lucky that this week is busy with kid/life stuff because that is what got me out the door and into the rain.  When I first realized it was raining I told myself that I’d just push back the run to another day but then I remembered that if I didn’t do it now, it wasn’t going to happen.

I’m glad we got out and did the run outside because it might be raining on race day so why not get used to running in that now?!

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I did the first 8 miles by myself and then Andrew put Skye down for a nap at my parents’ house and we ran 10.3 miles together.

We didn’t make it onto the trails (they were way too muddy and we didn’t have time to get through all of that) but we did climb some big hills along with many flat miles.  We climbed up about 1,050 feet and hopefully today I can get in some good hills too (10-12 miles on the schedule for today).

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Skye woke up about a mile before we got to my parents’ house.  Her excitement to see us made my day.  Knox needed to be picked up so Andrew took Skye to go get him and I just ran towards the direction of the school and they picked me up after getting Knox.

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They found me at 20.83 miles but because Andrew gets me… he just waited for me to run another .17 miles until I hit 21.

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These two were pretty thrilled to see each other again.  Five days in kid world is pretty much ten years.

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Spaghetti and ground turkey for dinner and the usual nighttime routine with the kiddos (and I was in bed by 9:).

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I have some Thursday thoughts to share with you today:

*My dreams have come true… Running around the mountains with Andrew in matching hydration vests (picture from last week).  I’m not sure this is his dream but I’m glad he goes along with the crazy things I want to do together.

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*The front pocket of my vest will always include a nanohydr8 (use code HRG20 for 20% off) and my lip gloss obsession.  It is so dry here and windy in the mountains that I would die without having it easy to grab all throughout my long runs.

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*And this is why we have dress rehearsals before our races.  Chafing.  PS after Andrew’s 20 miler this week he said the worst part was the chafing after but he wasn’t sore at all from the run… the training is working:)

I had a shirt covering right there between my skin and my hydration vest last week on my 18 miler but it must not have been thick enough.  It really started bothering me during the last few miles of my long run.  I’ll keep experimenting to find the perfect combo for the race.

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*If I am running in the snow, I HAVE to be wearing sunglasses even if the sun is not out.  The snow is so bright and it hurts my eyes… anybody else experience that?

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*The Caldera.  They are officially my ultra shoes.  I just have so much love for these shoes.  I never get any blisters/toenail problems with them and my feet feel so good with each step.  They have great traction and offer me the right amount of support/cushioning/protection from rocks without being too bulky.

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*My niece came over the other day in one of the sweatshirts that I used to sell:). Good memories.  I need to make a new one for us to wear during this ultra and have it say, “Sorry for what I said at miles 20-50.”

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*Skye is very interested in helping us prepare to get out for our long runs… and the remote control.  She would take that thing everywhere with her if we let her.

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*They are big fans of each other.

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*I realized the real real challenge for us and these double long runs is chasing after Skye for the rest of the day once we finish haha.  That is where the real endurance gain is happening.

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*For my sister’s birthday Andrew made her favorite chocolate chip cookies with just ONE chocolate chip in each cookie.  As you know, she has a weird stance on the correct amount of chocolate in each cookie.  She was very happy with these.  He also under baked them which is also her favorite.  I put a survey on IG about which cookies are better… normal chocolate chip vs 1 chip per cookie and 89% voted for normal cookies and 11% voted for the 1 chip per cookie.

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Share a Thursday thought with me!

Ever deal with chafing?  What helps you?

DOVE DEODORANT. <— I explain it in this post.  

Trail runners… what is your goto trail running shoe?

Describe your perfect cookie to me!

-A cookie that resembles a large scotchmallow from See’s.  

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56 comments

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Girl, you are such a stud! So proud of you for getting out there and getting it done!! It’s been raining here for four days straight, and I need it to stop now.

Perfect cookie = super soft and warm sugar cookie that’s slightly underbaked. THE BEST.

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Oh thank you Natalie. I heard that it has been raining like crazy there… I hope it stops asap! Ohhhh that cookie sounds like heaven right now! Have a wonderful day:)

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Ha I never thought about that, chocolate chip cookie not chocolate chips cookie…

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VERY TRUE… I never thought about that either. Maybe she is right!

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For chafing: Squirrels Nut Butter!!!

Trail shoes: Altra KingMT and Salomon SpeedTrak (but I can’t find them anymore).

Mmmmmm… cookies. Unless they are Oreos, they should be soft and warm. Otherwise… not picky!

PS- running in the rain is my favorite but it doesn’t help with chafing!!

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I need to get some of that for Andrew asap! BOOO to not being able to find your favorite trail shoes now… I do not like when that happens. I hope you get a nice run in the rain asap. Have a beautiful Thursday Angie.

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I need sunglasses at all times! Especially in the winter. Yes, for the brightness but also wearing sunglasses helps to keep my face warm because it blocks some of the wind/cold.

Great job on your runs! Very cute matching picture of you and Andrew with vests :)

Perfect cookies for me are very under-baked :)

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YES YES YES… that is the added bonus of sunglasses, they block the wind. Thanks Amanda and I hope you have a great day and some under-baked cookies asap.

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Think about trying Squirrel Nut Butter for anti-chafing! The name is funny, but it really works, and trail/ultra runners seem to really like it :)

I was one of the 11% who voted for one chip in the cookie! ha ha Even better UNDER-baked!!!!!

My perfect cookie is probably an iced sugar cookie. I love the kind that aren’t TOO soft and have the royal icing on them! Yummo. I think I’d choose one of those over a brownie!!!!!! But NOT over cake with tons of buttercream frosting ;)

SUPER job on the LONG run in the tough weather. You’re so right though–during those moments, you just have to tell yourself that you might face the exact same thing on race day, so it’s just a dress rehearsal!!!!!

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YOU WERE!?!? Okay, I’ll send you some next time we make them with just one chip. Thank you so much Jen. I hope you are having a wonderful day!

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I will be forever grateful for the introduction to dove deodorant.. why does it work so well?!?

All time favorite cookie: oatmeal cookie with chocolate and butterscotch chips. Heavenly! Keep them in the freezer so the texture is perfect. I guess I will be doing some baking this weekend!

Thursday question.. have you had the experience when one of your air pods wont turn on (fully charged) and no matter how many time you connect and disconnect one wont work? But the next day they are both fine?! Or am I the only crazy one? Maybe the 4 am runs are getting to me……….

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I don’t get why it works so well either… life changing!
NOOOO about your air pods. That has never happened to me but Andrew said that it has once for him (when they were fully charged) but it worked again once he charged it again. SO not quite the same. I wonder if you can exchange them for a new pair. That is SO frustrating.
Can you send me those cookies… they sound amazing.

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My AirPods haven’t done that – but sometimes they randomly just stop working even though the podcast continues playing. If I pause the podcast, plop the AirPods back in the case and then back out they continue working as usual. Pretty annoying but it does not happen that often. I don’t wear them while running, only when working out indoors. It would really bug me if they stopped working in the middle of a long run though!

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What a rockstar run! Way to go!

Chafing is the worst. Deodorant or vaseline is my go to. Showering after a run is painful if something chafes…..i got it really bad under my arm once and showered with my hand covering up the spot bc it was so painful!

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It really is the worst feeling! Good call on using your hand to cover it! Have a wonderful day Loribeth and thank you.

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So did you look at the time you spent on your training run and remember running an extra 5.2 miles in about that time a few months ago? :) No doubt, both were tough runs in their own way.
Chafing is the worst. I made the mistake of wearing an older sports bra for an 11 miler, and chafing turned parts of it pink by the end. Not much you can do when you’re 3 miles from the end of a run. I’ll have to try the deodorant trick; I’ve used a stick-type anti-chafing product before with decent success.
Mmm…cookies. I like a lot of different types, but the ones with lots of chunks (chocolate, toffee, caramel, nuts, etc.) are always best. No raisins, please. Oh, and warm from the oven :)

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Okay, this is crazy but I didn’t even think of that!! AHHHH how did that happen a few months ago haha! Oh that sports bra story sounds TERRIBLE! Let me know if the deodorant trick works for you and go get a cookie soon.

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You are killing this ultra training! I love following along for your workouts! I think I would be sleeping 99% of the days if I were logging that many miles! Good thing I’m just a dog mom! HA! ;)

My perfect cookie is hands down, Chick-Fil-A chocolate chip! They make it for you and it’s always warm and crispy and falling apart! THE BEST!!

Have a great day Janae!!

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Oh thank you Chelsea! We are definitely sleeping more than ever right now ha.
Thank you for reminding me of their cookies… they are the best. I need one asap. Thanks, you too!

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I wear sunglasses all the time outside. My eyes have become more sensitive to light over the years.
I love a really good chocolate chip cookie. Lots of chips, slightly under baked.
But one of my favorite cookies is this coconut pecan one from a small store near me. They use pecan halves so you get a big piece every bite.

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MINE HAVE TOO… Andrew wonders why I am wearing them on cloudy days but I need them. I hope you get one of those cookies asap.. those sound amazing. Have a wonderful day Samantha.

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Aww the feeling of a hot shower after a cold winter morning long run!!!! Is there anything better? Maybe the post shower breakfast and coffee (and of course hot chocolate for you Janae)! Lol

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There really isn’t and you know me so well… off to get some hot chocolate right now:) . Have a great day Mel!

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I voted on that Instagram poll for the chocolate chip cookie and I definitely need more than one. To me, the Starbucks Chocolate chip cookie is the perfect one. Soft, chewy but with some sort of cake consistency. Also, with chocolate chunks instead of chocolate chips. YUM! I like mine to be not warmed up, which is something I always get weird looks for.

My Thursday thought is that working on improving my running form is changing so much of my running (for the better). But now with a half marathon race coming in two months, I don’t know how in the world am I going to balance my new form adaptations to the longer distances.

And Chaffing! Ugh! To me it gets worst during the summer. One time I went to run a 10-miler later in a hot and humid day and came back with extreme chaffing on my back, right where my sports bra ended.

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I’ve never tried that one… I’m going to have to asap! I am SO happy that the form changes are helping so much, this is awesome. You are going to rock your half Nathaly!

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I have done lots of marathons and a number of ultras. My old running group when I lived in MD turned me on to Brave Soldier Friction Zone for chafing. It is the best thing ever. Doesn’t sweat off or wash off in the rain. I am large busted and chafing on my bra line had always been an issue. Brave Soldier cured it. It is a little pricey but worth the $18 dollars. Make sure to get the one in the tube. https://www.bravesoldier.com/friction-zone.php

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That one looks AWESOME and I wonder if it would be good for hot spots on our feet that blister? THANK YOU for sharing April! Have a wonderful day and share any ultra tips that you have for me:)

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I’m a few days late – but I loved listening to you and Andrew on the Man Bun Run Podcast! You need to do more interviews together. Please do one AFTER your race!!
I get the worst chaffing from my HR strap and sports bra. I have to put first aid tape and Dove deodorant on that spot. Thanks so much for telling us about Dove. The anti-chaffing products from the running stores did not work for me.
Cookies are my favorite treat. It’s hard for me to choose a favorite. I really like sugar cookies with icing – the kind that make lots of crumbs when you eat them. I might be weird, but I like crunchy cookies.

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Oh I am so glad that you liked it! We will 100% do a podcast together afterwards and I’m sure that one will be pretty comical with how different we will view the race;) . Oh that does not sound like a fun place for chafing. I am SO glad the Dove helps… it’s a miracle worker. I need to send you some cookies from our stores around here (the big pink sugar cookie ones)… you would love it! Have a wonderful day Elizabeth!

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ugh. Chafing. I chafed so bad on my last trail marathon I almost cried in the shower. I’m surprised I don’t have scars from it. I ended up buying Body Glide after that and also a new hydration vest and haven’t had any issues since… except when I tried wearing natural deodorant while running ….that one hurt bad too and I’ve since learned to wear real deodorant when doing any kind of workout!
My go to shoe is Altra Superior after my Merrill’s failed me on really long runs. I’m going to try the Altra Timps when i get back to the trails though and I can’t wait!
My favorite cookies are actually cookie bars; cookies (under) baked like brownies … heavenly! I also prefer less chocolate chips but I need atleast a few! Is it really a chocolate chip cookie if there’s only one chip?!
I you don’t mind … another sweatshirt idea …. Ultra Crazy! HA! I have been looking for a hoodie with this saying and I haven’t seen any… just a thought :)

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Oh Jenny… that pain of getting in the shower and the water hitting the chafed areas= the worst and I bet even more so after a trail marathon! I’ve heard awesome things about those shoes. I am pretty sure the Timps are named after our mountain that I have in all of my pictures ( the creators of Altra are from my area:) .

ULTRA CRAZY. SUCH a good idea… I’ll talk to the guy that helps me with these:) . Thanks Jenny.

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I hope those 11% of people get the help they desperately need.

I have a heated blanket in my office and another one in my living room that I use after cold runs and rides. It’s almost as good for warming up as a hot shower!

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BAHAHAHAHAH YES!!! And that is brilliant… I will purchase one today. Thanks Victoria and I hope you had a great swim today!

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Sunglasses YES! Gold bond friction defense stick YES! Chocolate chip cookie NO! I love a homemade snickerdoodle or peanut butter blossom more. I like to make chocolate chip cookie dough but I add Dutch cocoa powder instead of the chips for a delicious chocolate cookie.

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Well now I am intrigued… I’m going to have to try that swap (but maybe still add the chocolate chips too;). I hope you have a homemade snickerdoodle soon. Have a wonderful day LIza!

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Saucony Pergrines. Though, I might have found a new pair I love. ON makes trail shoes and when I tried on a pair, they felt like wearing clouds on my feet. I may have to get a pair when I wear my peregrines out.

Perfect is a big fat soft oatmeal raisin cookie. I could definitely eat more than one.

Have a great day Janae and Happy training ! I am glad you both get to share miles together. That is the best part of training.

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HEY YOU!! It really is the highlight of each week…When we get out for a few of the miles together. I might have to send you a batch of my grandma’s recipe of oatmeal raisin cookies, they are heavenly. I tried ON once like 8 years ago… so cool to hear about them and how much you love them. Have a beautiful day Kristine.

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I feel like you’ve answered this before (sorry!) but can you link your running headband? Thank you!

PS I also listened to your podcast with Andrew. Loved it!

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OF COURSE I CAN!!! Here it is:
https://www.oiselle.com/shop/running-accessories/lux-earband
Most of them are sold out but I hope you get one and love it.

Thanks for listening! We had fun:) . I hope you have a great day!

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Favorite trail running shoe is Altra Lone Peak or Altra Superior.

Chafing – I don’t usually have much problem with chafing, maybe because I live in a desert so sweat evaporates really really fast. Sometimes when I run in a tank top I get chafing from my upper arm rubbing against the “back fat” right above my sports bra, and for that Body Glide works for me. Also, I get chafing on my collarbone like you had sometimes, if my hydration pack makes my bra strap press into the collarbone, so maybe experiment with which sports bra you use with the hydration vest – I have some bras that I just can’t use for a long mtn bike ride because they will give me too much grief from my Camelbak strap.

Favorite cookie – a lemon sugar cookie or a peanut butter cookie with chocolate chips. For chocolate chip cookies, I prefer 150% of the normal amount of chocolate chips and wouldn’t even waste the calories for a cookie with only one chocolate chip, lol.

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That totally could have been the problem… my sports bra! Interesting and thanks for bringing that up. I’ll keep playing around.

I love your stance on cookies. Have a beautiful day Heather!

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What time do you typically get up to go for a run, before the kids go to school? My three little ones are not in school yet so we take our mornings very slow. I’m worried for when my youngest starts school. I’m going to have to get up so early to get a good workout in before school starts.

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YOU CAN DO IT TIFFANY:) . Your body will adjust and you’ll be able to do it. I’ve gone back and forth between running later on in the day and then early and it just takes about a week for my body to be happy to get moving early again. Have a wonderful day.

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My third marathon, I started chafing pretty bad near the end, but it was the kind where you don’t really notice until afterward. And oh, did I notice. It took two weeks of applying baby powder twice a day for it to go away. Lesson learned.

Do you guys like the Chocolate Toast Crunch? I thought it was good but not better than Cinnamon Toast Crunch. I just tried the new Honey Bun cereal though, and it is VERY good. Super sweet though, I would recommend it for dessert, not breakfast.

It’s hard to pick my favorite cookie but one of them is a chocolate marshmallow cookie that they make at the camp I work at. It’s a chocolate cookie with a gooey marshmallow on top and covered with chocolate frosting. I got hungy typing that and now I need to go eat something sweet.

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I am a fan of Body Glide for chafing. You can find it at Target which is great! I use it everywhere my sports bra rubs to prevent chafing: straps on shoulder/collar bone and where the band on the bottom hits both front and back. I even use it on my feet if I’m concerned I may get a blister. It’s been a lifesaver! Good luck with all the training and no more chafing!

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You and Andrew are incredible. I just can’t even wrap my head around the mileage. Rockstars! And that hug from Knox and Brooke…so sweet. The next time there is sibling “friction,” just look at that and remind yourself that they do love and miss each other, haha! Skye’s face with her hand full of cereal, too. Oh my goodness. I totally miss that stuff. I’m WAY past the baby phase of life but my husband said to me last night (after seeing me go a little gaga for a baby), “You are totally ready for grandbabies, aren’t you?” And I sort of am, but I know my older kids aren’t at that point in life yet, so I’m really not. I just want to borrow other people’s babies and give squishes every once in a while, you know? Well, that was a rabbit hole of a Thursday Thought for you! :)

My “Perfect” cookie is my chocolate chip cookie recipe (buttery, soft, just a little crisp on the edge, with TONS of chocolate chips), just barely underdone (by, literally, 20 seconds or so) and still warm. Ahhh! I probably miss that the most since having to go gluten free. Sigh. But, I made the goal to learn how to make French Macarons this year, so maybe this time next year, THAT will be my perfect cookie? I doubt I’ll ever make any as good as the ones I actually had in Paris a couple years ago, but I don’t mind practicing over and over in an effort to get there. Or…I guess I could always just make another trip to Paris too. That’s always a thought… ;)

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It’s hard to pick a favorite cookie but I would have to go with a nice soft snickerdoodle or oatmeal raisin cookie.

Have you and Andrew looked at Zwift for running on the treadmill? I don’t currently own a treadmill but I watched a few YouTube videos of Zwift and it looks kind of fun. I think they have a trial version.

Another question – do you and Andrew just use the insoles that come with your running shoes or custom insoles? The reason I ask is that I usually use Superfeet Green insoles in my running shoes but I am trying out some HOKA Clifton 5’s and they don’t seem right with the Superfeet. Do you or any of your readers have any recommendations?

I also enjoyed your Podcast on Man Bun Run, it was great to get Andrew’s take on things.

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This might have been mentioned already, but I always chafed on my collarbone from my sports bra during marathon training, so I put KT tape on those spots before the race. Worked like an absolute charm! If it’s raw, you could put a bandaid on it first and then KT Tape over that so the tape isn’t directly on broken skin.

My perfect cookie is full of chocolate chunks, a little crispy at the edges and chewy in the middle. And HUGE. Cookies are my weakness!

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Ahhh Janae you are so inspiring to me! PS – really love your new Friend to Friend section. :)
Thursday thought – OW! I tried a cross training workout last night on my new treadmill (which I seriously LOVE by the way. NordicTrack for the win!). Not sure if you have ever done any of the iFit workouts that are accessible on their machines but oh my goodness. I have been doing some of the running ones, along with manual, not programmed runs, but I decided to try a cross training workout yesterday and it kicked my booty! It combined running (increasing incline, stead speeds) for spurts with recovery, and then had either bodyweight or weighted movements in between. It was KILLER! I loved it!
Perfect cookie – chocolate chip, toffee, pretzel pieces, and salted caramel chips in a basic dough. I stumbled across this combo while emptying out my baking chips shelf and they are DELISH.

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For chafing, I’m a fan of Body Glide before. And Aquafor is great when you mess up and need something to keep from stinging in the shower.

I am in love with that sweatshirt – please please please consider doing one with Mile 40 for us ultra runners. I sent it to my pacing crew friends and they all died laughing too!

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Put empty cereal boxes and food containers where she can reach them and she can get into them but not make a mess.

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Such a good idea!!!! We will be doing that, thank you!

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I love that your forever person is a runner. My husband knew that when we were dating so he pretended he was into running… .5 miles into our first run it was clear HE WAS NOT. But he was cool enough to win me over anyways. Ha but still wish he was a runner :)

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Chafing is something I don’t deal with very often. I used to use body glide because it was so mainstream but then when I started running trails a sample of Squirrels Nut Butter was given to me and I haven’t looked back. It is BY FAR the best thing I have ever used. Plus you can get little bitty containers of it that fit right in the pockets of your vest (I use the same one you have).
I also used to run in Brooks. Since switching to trails I tried to stay with them but found Altras to be better on the trails I run. I feel like I have more control over each step with them. I typically wear the MT kings 1.5 or Lone Peak Neos in the snow.

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I wore my husband’s Salomon hydration vest (the same as yours) for a trail race a couple weeks ago and it chafed me in that exact same spot! I had to switch him halfway through the race and it was so painful.

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My anti-chafe product of choice is Mad Alchemy Chamois Cream. I buy it from my local bike shop. Works great for all body parts and smells nice. Lately my sports bra bands have been chafing my breastbone and this works so nicely. Also great for thigh chafing in short-shorts. https://www.madalchemy.com/shop/lafemme-chamois-cream

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